Hillsborough’s ‘Operation Seize-Fire’ Another Salvo in Continuing Fight Against Felons With Firearms

Hillsborough County law enforcement officers for years have aggressively targeting felons with guns and today’s announcement from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shows another major step forward in that direction.

The undercover firearms sting unveiled March 25 by the sheriff’s Office had as of mid-afternoon led to 25 arrests, eight warrants for arrest and the confiscation of 84 firearms, including 69 purchased from convicted felons. Sellers included also members of gangs and a 14-year-old boy on house arrest.

“Operation Seize-Fire,” as the undercover string is known, launched in October and involves the work of more than 20 local law enforcement officers, the State Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Handguns, rifles, an AK-47 and sawed-off shotguns were reportedly swept off the streets. So, too, nearly 740 grams of crack cocaine, 634 grams of marijuana and 343 pills of the prescription pain drug Oxycodone.

“This is just a drop in the bucket,” Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee said about the sting’s initial success.

Indeed, more than 900 felons have been arrested in Hillsborough County between 2006 and 2011 for possession of a firearm, according to sheriff’s office report. Moreover in Florida, 15 officers have been killed from gunfire at the hands of a convicted felon during the same time period.

“These are not guns that are lawfully held by (upstanding) citizens,” Gee said. “These are criminals who are selling and trading these things. Obviously, they have other guns for their own protection.”

Six of the seven officers killed in Florida this year were shot to death by convicted felons, Gee said, who are not permitted to carry firearms under state law. Gee said he has heard academics say it could be an arbitrary spike, but he doubts that.

“When you’re seeing multiple police officers killed at one time, when you’re seeing it more than once, I think that’s a good indication that society is changing to a degree,” he said. “This is an issue we need to get our arms around quickly.”

Guns purchased in the sting were easy to obtain, with some handed over in convenience store parking lots. Prices were anywhere from $120 to $450.

“You can buy guns like you could buy crack cocaine a couple of years ago,” Gee said.

Members of gangs such as the Latin Kings, Latin Life and the Bloods were arrested during the undercover operation. The 14-year-old arrested was identified as Trey Borders, whose rap sheet includes multiple burglaries, battery on a school employee, grand theft and drug charges.

Some of the firearms recovered have been circulating for years. Authorities said one handgun turned up in the sting after having been reported stolen 29 years ago in Plantation.

Law enforcement officials will comb through the information retrieved in the investigation, including the origin of the firearms and who the major players are in illegal firearms sales.

“We can take a snapshot of what’s going on in Florida right now,” Gee said.

The guns will eventually be destroyed, authorities said.